Vehicles such as this Toyota Kijang must vie for spacewith large buses on Java’s roads during Idul Fitri,
often with tragic results
A family of six died on Thursday when their Suzuki Carry van hit an intercity bus on the dangerous Pantura highway in East Java, local police said. The bus driver’s assistant also died in what appears to be the worst accident reported so far during the Idul Fitri holiday period, said First Insp. M. Fakih, the head of the Tuban Police accident unit. The deadly collision occurred in Sukolilo, in Tuban’s Bancar subdistrict, when the Suzuki Carry reportedly veered to the right without warning. The driver of the Jaya Utama bus, Nasri, 24, was unable to avoid the van. Mashuri, 47, and his family were believed to be on their way home to Malang after holidaying at his parents’ house in Kudus, Central Java. He died in the accident, along with his wife, Yuliati, 39, and children, Fita Anggraini, 19, Venny Anggraini, 16, Abu Bakar, 9, and Nasya, 7. The bus driver was identified as, Paiman, 40. The dead, along with dozens of injured bus passengers, were taken to the general hospital in Tuban. Fakih said the police were still investigating the accident, but he added that it was believed that Mashuri — who was driving the Suzuki Carry van — was extremely tired at the time when the accident occurred. Fakih urged all drivers to pull over and rest if they felt sleepy. Traffic has been particularly heavy on the main roads of Java Island over the past week, because millions of city dwellers have been heading to their hometowns to spend time with their families in the regions. The roads on Java Island are expected to be busy over the next few days, with people returning to major cities as the holiday period comes to an end.
